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Chapter 6
“Ah… yes, understood, Vice President.”
Sehee cast an apologetic glance at Haejun before following behind Yuwon.
…Coffee. I really was going to buy it today.
As she sat down with a faint tinge of regret, Yuwon leaned casually against her desk, smiling in a way that looked apologetic—though it lacked any real sincerity.
A beautiful smile, but not one that felt genuine.
“Sorry to bother you when you must be busy. There’s a matter I’d like you to check for me.”
“Yes, please speak freely. What is it?”
“The Melbourne International Airport duty-free bidding. I’d like you to compile the status of infrastructure investments from our competitors. Executive Director Jang Gwanghyun’s team should have the data.”
“Understood. When would you like it by?”
“When do you think you can manage?”
She now knew exactly what that counter-question meant.
He wanted the materials as soon as possible, but asking outright by his own standards would seem too inhumane—so he first confirmed the other party’s availability.
Looks like another night of overtime today.
Swallowing back the sigh that was rising, Sehee smiled brightly.
“I’ll send it to you by the end of today. If there are any other issues you’d like reviewed, I’ll compile those as well.”
“Thank you.”
Yuwon smiled gently and nodded. Sehee returned the smile, working to relax the tension in her brow.
He never bothered with even the token politeness of saying, It’s fine, no rush.
Yuwon was certainly a respectable superior—capable, admirable, with much to learn from—but…
In moments like this, she couldn’t help but find him infuriating.
“…Pft.”
After finishing his words, Yuwon took a casual sip of water—and nearly choked.
Because Sehee was making that weird expression again.
Her eyes, filled with a tangled mix of emotions, glared at him resentfully, while her lips were fixed in a perfectly curved smile.
Such an extreme gap between raw emotion and rational restraint.
It was petty and ridiculous.
Keeping his own face entirely neutral, Yuwon asked,
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Pardon?”
“Maybe it’s just me, but your expression seemed… unusual.”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
Startled, Sehee quickly ducked her head—showing plain as day that she’d been caught out.
Feigning disinterest, Yuwon cast his gaze downward to study her. As expected, beneath the bowed head, her lips were sticking out in a pout.
“I actually felt like having coffee. This time, let me get it for you.”
From what he vaguely recalled, she’d been going back and forth about whether to get coffee earlier. It made sense she’d be a little sulky after being given work when she’d been about to take a breather.
“Are you busy right now?”
For once exercising a bit of empathy, Yuwon spoke up before Sehee could slip away.
“No, sir. If you need anything else, please just say so—”
“Then wait just a moment.”
Leaving the bewildered Sehee behind, Yuwon headed to the pantry.
He returned with a mug of freshly dripped coffee and set it on her desk. Sehee’s eyes went wide.
“I figured you didn’t get to have coffee because of me. Was I wrong?”
“Huh? Oh… no, it’s not like that.”
“If you don’t mind, have it. It was a gift, so it should taste pretty good.”
The unexpected gesture brought a faint blush to Sehee’s cheeks.
“…Thank you, Vice President.”
Her voice was small as she expressed her thanks, hesitating for a moment before cautiously glancing up at him and asking,
“But… is it okay for me to drink coffee here? I think you’ve already told me everything you needed to.”
“Ah.”
Only then did it occur to Yuwon that his light gesture might feel like a heavy burden to her.
Fair enough—what sane person would want to sit in their boss’s office sipping coffee when that boss threw endless amounts of work at them every day?
Even so, instead of letting her go, Yuwon crossed his arms and asked in a deliberately serious tone,
“I don’t mind. Are you saying you find me uncomfortable, Manager Han?”
Faced with a question that had only one safe answer, Sehee responded exactly as expected—by panicking.
“No! Absolutely not. That’s not it at all, I just didn’t want to trouble you, Vice President…!”
“Hmm.”
Tilting his head with an unbelieving expression, Yuwon let a faint air of melancholy cross his overly handsome features.
After fidgeting for a moment, Sehee seemed determined to prove her sincerity, gripping the cup firmly in both hands.
“I’m very grateful, really. The only thing is… I’m not good at drinking hot beverages, so it might take me a while to finish. Are you really sure it’s okay?”
Just tell me to leave already.
Her eyes pleaded with him silently.
…Really, this woman was so transparent.
Clamping down on a laugh, Yuwon nodded with the gentlest smile.
“Of course it’s fine. After all the trouble you go through because of me, the least I can do is this.”
“Ah… yes.”
“You could even set up a whole little living space in my office, Manager Han. It’d be more efficient for work, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind it at all.”
“What? Oh—there’s really no need for that kind of consideration.”
Forcing a smile to hide her wavering eyes, Sehee took a big gulp of coffee.
So much for not handling hot drinks well—it seemed the desire to escape outweighed any physical discomfort.
“Take your time. Don’t push yourself.”
With a faint laugh, Yuwon waved off her hurried drinking.
But despite the feigned kindness, the way he sat across from her, chin propped in hand, made his enjoyment of her discomfort plain as day.
“Uh…”
Once again, her reaction was exactly what he expected—her wide eyes darting about, unsure where to land.
He’d never thought of himself as sadistic, but something about this woman poked at a childish impulse he hadn’t known existed.
It wasn’t lingering resentment over that groin incident—it was simply that her reactions were funny enough to poke at.
Of course, every time he got her flustered, he did feel a small, petty sense of victory.
Under his steady gaze, Sehee squirmed visibly.
When he didn’t look away, she finally spoke up, as if making a decision.
“Um… Vice President, I’m sorry, but… with you staring at me like that, I’m too nervous to drink.”
For someone who’d been so hesitant, it was a surprisingly direct confession.
“…Have I been… doing that?”
“Yes, maybe a bit excessively…”
Her blunt honesty caught him off guard. Resting his lips against his hand, the faint thrill of victory evaporated.
When he looked away, Sehee’s face relaxed and she sipped her coffee with ease.
So open in some moments, yet capable of catching him off guard the next.
He’d known it before, but Manager Han Sehee was not someone to let your guard down around.
The reason he kept her close despite that was simple—she was a competent employee.
Her personality might be careless, but her work skills were sharp. She had grit, endurance, and the ability to bounce back quickly.
Watching her switch from weariness to a cheerful smile stirred two opposing impulses in him—
—to praise her sincerely, and to suddenly test her limits.
Yuwon didn’t dwell on why.
When their conversation lapsed, an awkward, heavy silence settled between them—much like their working relationship.
No more words. No more matters to check.
So that’s why she was so desperate to leave.
With a belated click of his tongue, Yuwon stood, thinking to at least give her a moment of rest to herself.
If only she hadn’t kept sneaking glances at his face.
“……”
A lifetime of enduring people’s stares had made him sensitive to them.
Most of the time, he ignored them for his own peace of mind—but this particular pair of eyes, peeking at him over a cup of coffee, was too blatant to overlook.
“…Is the work manageable?”
He didn’t actually care much, but it was his subtle way of telling her to tone down the staring.
“Yes, Vice President. Perfectly fine.”
The quick reply made him smirk.
Bold enough to stare, yet her answers were always neat and proper.
“I know I can be a difficult boss to please. And I realize you might not believe this because of how I usually act, but I have high expectations for you—and for Lee Manager as well. That’s the truth.”
“…I still have much to improve, but thank you for saying so.”
The unexpected compliment brought another blush to her cheeks.
As if to shake it off, she gave a small shake of her head before speaking seriously.
“And I’ve never thought of you in that way, Vice President. As I’ve said before, I like you—I truly respect you.”
The sudden confession made Yuwon pause.
Their eyes met, and she gave him a shy smile. Her gaze was pure and bright, carrying nothing but sincerity—too genuine to be flattery.
“I’ll be sure to pass along that compliment to Manager Lee as well.”
Instead of replying, Yuwon’s lips curved in a smooth arc.
Seeing his radiant smile, Sehee’s eyes were once again drawn to him.
Looks like she really likes this face.
At least she’s got some taste.
It was a thought he had without any real feeling—being someone’s eye candy was nothing new to him.
“Vice President…”
His eyes widened slightly.
Because Sehee suddenly poked her own cheek with her left index finger—like a little child trying to act cute.
…What the hell?
What was that supposed to mean?
The sudden gesture sent his heart skipping a beat.
